Athanasius doesn’t say “for edification.” That could ambiguously be interpreted as strengthening one’s faith, inspiring courage, whatever. Athanasius says it’s purpose is to instruct Christians in the ways of Godliness. In other words, moral doctrine. He certainly does not say that hey are “not to be used for doctrine.” And he most certainly doesn’t call them fiction.
He merely admits that they aren’t “canon.” Whose canon? Athanasius’ own incorrect enumeration of the New Testament makes plain that there is no settled Christian canon. He is referring to the Jews.
Sorry, you can’t have it both ways: Athanasius is either contradicting Sola Scriptura, by looking to something outside scripture for moral doctrine, and/or by “canon” he doesn’t mean the Christian canon.
“Athanasius doesn’t say “for edification.” That could ambiguously be interpreted as strengthening one’s faith, inspiring courage, whatever. Athanasius says it’s purpose is to instruct Christians in the ways of Godliness. In other words, moral doctrine. He certainly does not say that hey are “not to be used for doctrine.” And he most certainly doesn’t call them fiction.
He merely admits that they aren’t “canon.” Whose canon? Athanasius’ own incorrect enumeration of the New Testament makes plain that there is no settled Christian canon. He is referring to the Jews.
Sorry, you can’t have it both ways: Athanasius is either contradicting Sola Scriptura, by looking to something outside scripture for moral doctrine, and/or by “canon” he doesn’t mean the Christian canon.
I think you are overestimating your ability to muddle things up here. You’re also basically revealing that you don’t even know what the reformed view of Sola Scriptura even means. When Athanasius says that these books are “merely to be read,” and is for instruction in “Godliness,” that is not anything different from what I’ve already said before, and of which every Christian I cited agrees with, even your Papist Cardinal Catejan. The distinction is that these books, though having value as religious works by Christians for the edification of morals, cannot be used for the creation of doctrine. That is it. There’s nothing more to it than that. Furthermore, Sola Scriptura says nothing about us not using anything we want to instruct us in Godliness, or as aids for understanding the scripture (commentaries), or anything else we would like to use. It just means that we can only turn to the holy scripture for Christian doctrine, and nowhere else.
I think you and Vladimir, on some level, know you’re fighting a losing battle, and so you’re grasping at anything, even though there isn’t anything left to grasp anymore.